Ultrasonic diagnosis device

ABSTRACT

An ultrasonic diagnosis device wherein a movable mechanism for supporting an operation panel is configured so that the degree of freedom in the position and attitude thereof is increased. Specifically, a movable section comprises the operation panel, a base, an arm mechanism, and a display unit. The movable mechanism has a lifting mechanism and a horizontal movement mechanism. The horizontal movement mechanism has a layered structure. The layered structure has, stacked from bottom to top, a left-right slide mechanism, a forward-backward slide mechanism, a rotation mechanism, and a rotation limitation mechanism. The rotation limitation mechanism changes a rotation range according to a sliding position in the forward-backward direction.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnosis device, andmore particularly to an operation panel and a movable mechanism.

BACKGROUND ART

Ultrasonic diagnosis devices used in the field of medicine generallyinclude a main unit (a cart), and an operation panel supported on themain unit. The main unit houses a plurality of electronic circuit boardsand power source sections. The operation panel includes a switch, apointing device, a rotary knob, a sub display, or the like. A displayunit is mounted on the operation panel via an arm mechanism. In such astructure, the operation panel, the arm mechanism, and the display unitconstitute a movable section. In order to vary the position of themovable section in the vertical and horizontal directions, a movablemechanism is provided. The display unit may be mounted directly on themain unit, rather than via the operation panel.

When performing ultrasonic diagnosis, a doctor or a laboratorytechnician (i.e., a user) holds a probe and also operates the operationpanel. When a bed is placed on the right side of ultrasonic diagnosisdevice, for example, the user holds the probe with his/her right handand brings the probe into contact with a body surface of a subject onthe bed, while operating the operation panel with his/her left hand.During such an operation, the user observes an ultrasonic imagedisplayed on the display unit.

There are possibilities that that user may perform ultrasonic diagnosisin a sitting or standing posture, or may perform ultrasonic diagnosiswhile sitting on the bed. In any case, it is desirable to mitigate theuser's fatigue and to enhance operability and visibility. Morespecifically, it is desired, in terms of human engineering, to increasethe degree of freedom concerning the position and attitude of theoperation panel, the display unit, and so on, such that the user cantake as comfortable a posture as possible or such that the user caneasily view the display.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS Patent Literatures

-   Patent Literature 1: JP 2004-624 A-   Patent Literature 2: JP 2005-526566 A-   Patent Literature 3: JP 2003-144433 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention

In the ultrasonic diagnosis devices disclosed in Patent Literatures 1and 2, it is possible to enable the operation panel to perform a slidemovement to the right and left and also to enable the operation panel toperform a swivel movement. However, these devices are not provided witha mechanism for enabling the operation panel to perform a slide movementin the forward and backward direction, nor are they provided with amechanism for associating the forward-backward slide movement with theswivel movement. On the other hand, in these ultrasonic diagnosisdevices, it is possible to enable the operation panel to slide to theright with respect to the main unit and further to rotate clockwise asviewed from above. It appears that, with the above movement, theoperation panel can be placed directly opposite the user having aposture directed toward the center position between the ultrasonicdiagnosis device and the subject (diagonal posture) (see FIG. 6 ofPatent Literatures 1 and 2). With these devices, however, it appearsdifficult to optimize the position and attitude of the operation panelwhen the user is distant from the main unit. It also does not appearpossible to vary the height of the operation panel over a wide range.

Patent Literature 3 discloses a mechanism which enables the operationpanel to move in the forward-backward direction and in the left-rightdirection and also allows the operation panel to rotate (see FIG. 1 ofPatent Literature 3). This mechanism is configured as a linkage of aplurality of arms resembling the back legs of a frog (see FIG. 2 ofPatent Literature 3). Therefore, if one wishes to move the operationpanel in only one direction among the forward-backward direction, theleft-right direction, and the pivot direction, it is necessary to moveall the arms. As such, with this mechanism, it is difficult to performthe movement in a single direction smoothly.

An advantage of the present invention is to provide an ultrasonicdiagnosis device with improved usability, in which the degree of freedomconcerning the position and attitude of an operation panel can beincreased.

Moreover, an advantage of the present invention is to provide anultrasonic diagnosis device which enables an operation panel to movenaturally in the forward-backward direction, in the left-rightdirection, and in the rotation direction.

Solution to Problems

An ultrasonic diagnosis device according to the present inventionincludes an operation panel including a plurality of input units thatare operated by a user for ultrasonic diagnosis; a lifting mechanismthat varies a height of the operation panel; and a horizontal movementmechanism which is supported by the lifting mechanism and on which theoperation panel is mounted, the horizontal movement mechanism having alayered structure, wherein the horizontal movement mechanism includes aleft-right slide mechanism that guides a slide movement of the operationpanel in a left-right direction; a forward-backward slide mechanism thatguides a slide movement of the operation panel in a forward-backwarddirection; and a rotation mechanism having a rotational shaft memberthat moves in the left-right direction and in the forward-backwarddirection by the left-right slide mechanism and the forward-backwardslide mechanism, the rotation mechanism guiding a rotation movement ofthe operation panel.

With the above structure, it is possible to vary a height of theoperation panel by the lifting mechanism and also to vary the positionand attitude (orientation) in the horizontal direction of the operationpanel by the horizontal movement mechanism. The horizontal movementmechanism includes three mechanisms; more specifically, includes theleft-right slide mechanism, the forward-backward slide mechanism, andthe rotation mechanism. It is therefore possible to smoothly performpositioning of the operation panel. The operation panel is rotatablysupported by the rotational shaft member, and the position of therotational shaft member in the left-right direction and in theforward-backward direction (a two-dimensional position) is defined bythe left-right slide mechanism and the forward-backward slide mechanism.

Accordingly, the slide direction of each slide mechanism does notrotate, so that the rectangular coordinate system which has beenoriginally defined can be maintained. With the above structure, bydrawing the operation panel toward the front side and also shifting theoperation panel to the right and thereafter rotating the operation panelclockwise as viewed from above, for example, it is possible to allow theoperation panel to be directly opposite the user who is positioned awayfrom the ultrasonic diagnosis device and takes a slanted posture withrespect to the ultrasonic diagnosis device. If each slide path isinclined with respect to the horizontal plane, a force due to gravityacts on the operation panel, which makes a smooth slide movementdifficult or requires use of a special slide mechanism. It is thereforedesirable to set each slide path in a horizontal manner. While a drivesource for the slide movement can be provided, it is desirable toposition the operation panel by human power.

Preferably, the layered structure is a structure in which the left-rightslide mechanism, the forward-backward slide mechanism, and the rotationmechanism are sequentially stacked in this order from bottom to top.With this structure, because the forward-backward slide mechanism ismounted on the left-right slide mechanism, it is possible to inhibit theleft-right slide mechanism from thrusting (projecting) forward duringthe forward sliding movement, to thereby reduce the amount of materialsprojecting forward. This is advantageous in terms of securing a spaceunder the horizontal movement mechanism, avoidance of collision againstthe user's foot, and so on. This structure also facilitates provision ofthe rotation limitation mechanism, which will be described below,between the forward-backward slide mechanism and the operation panel(between two layers), for example.

Preferably, the lifting mechanism includes a movable base, theleft-right slide mechanism includes a left-right slide base that is amember mounted on the movable base and that performs a slide movement inthe left-right direction with respect to the movable base, theforward-backward slide mechanism includes a forward-backward slide basethat is a member mounted on the left-right slide base and that performsa slide movement in the forward-backward direction with respect to theleft-right slide base, and the rotation mechanism is mounted on theforward-backward slide base. The movable base is a lifting base andforms a lowermost layer, the left-right slide base forms a lower layer,the forward-backward slide base forms an intermediate layer, and therotation base of the rotation mechanism forms an upper layer. The bottomwall of the operation panel forms an uppermost layer. In order to securethe space under the horizontal movement mechanism, it is desirable tominimize the distance from the movable base to the bottom wall of theoperation panel; i.e., to form the horizontal movement mechanism as thinas possible.

Preferably, the ultrasonic diagnosis device includes a rotationlimitation mechanism that limits a rotation range of the operation panelin accordance with a sliding position of the operation panel in theforward-backward direction, wherein the rotation limitation mechanismincludes a first member that is provided on the left-right slide baseand does not move in the forward-backward direction and in the rotationdirection, and a second member that is provided on the operation panelor on a rotation portion in the rotation mechanism and moves in theforward-backward direction and in the rotation direction, and whereinwith the first member and the second member coming in contact with eachother, the rotation range of the operation panel is limited inaccordance with the sliding position of the operation panel in theforward-backward direction. With the above structure, it is possible tovary the rotation range (the rotatable angle range) of the rotationmember or the rotation mechanism by means of a contact relationshipbetween a member that performs a slide movement in the forward-backwarddirection and a member that does not perform a slide movement in theforward-backward direction. Preferably, the rotation range is zero atthe backward end of the operation panel. With this structure, even in astate in which the operation panel and the main unit are close to eachother, it is possible to prevent the operation panel from colliding withthe main unit when the operation panel rotates. It is desirable todetermine the rotation range in accordance with the sliding position inthe forward-backward direction such that such a collision avoidancecondition can be satisfied.

Preferably, one of the first member and the second member is a movingmember, and the other of the first member and the second member is aframe member that defines a movement range of the moving member, and awidth in the left-right direction of the movement range that is definedby the frame member is determined such that the rotation range isgreater when the operation panel is located on a front side than whenthe operation panel is located on a back side. With this structure, asthe movement range of the moving member is defined by the frame member,it is possible to set a desired change in the rotation range byappropriately determining a shape of the frame member.

Preferably, the first member is the moving member, the second member isthe frame member, the moving member is provided on the left-right slidebase, the frame member is provided on a bottom surface of the operationpanel, and the width of the movement range in the left-right directionincreases from the front side toward the back side.

Preferably, the first member is the moving member, the second member isthe frame member, the moving member is provided on the operation panelor the rotation portion in the rotation mechanism, the frame member isprovided on the left-right slide base, and the width of the movementrange in the left-right direction increases from the back side towardthe front side.

Preferably, the ultrasonic diagnosis device includes a casing thathouses the layered structure, wherein the casing includes a first casingportion that houses the forward-backward slide mechanism, and a secondcasing portion that is continuous with the first casing portion andhouses the left-right slide mechanism. With the layered structure; i.e.,the horizontal movement mechanism, being substantially housed within thecasing, it is possible to enhance the appearance of the device, increasethe level of safety, and also prevent or reduce the possibility of entryof dust and foreign matter. The device may be configured such that thecasing is coupled to the member that performs a slide movement in theleft-right direction. In that case, if the upper surface of the casingon the back side is exposed when the operation panel moves forward, itis desirable to provide a shutter mechanism in that exposed portion.

Preferably, the lifting mechanism includes a support column composed ofa movable column on which the movable base is mounted and a fixed columnthat guides an upward-downward movement of the movable column, themovable base is a horizontal plate that expands from an upper endportion of the movable column toward the front side, and the liftingmechanism has an inverted L shape as viewed from a side direction. Byadopting the inverted L shape form, it is possible to secure a largespace under the horizontal movement mechanism.

Preferably, the ultrasonic diagnosis device includes a current positionlock mechanism that limits the slide movement of the operation panel inthe left-right direction and in the forward-backward direction so as tomaintain a current position of the operation panel in the left-rightdirection and in the forward-backward direction, and a home positionlock mechanism that limits the slide movement of the operation panel inthe left-right direction and in the forward-backward direction when theoperation panel is positioned at a point of origin in the left-rightdirection and at a point of origin in the forward-backward direction. Byproviding the two types of lock means as described above, it is possibleto realize locking of the current position with a single mechanism, andon the other hand, to reliably perform home position locking duringtransportation or the like.

Preferably, the current position lock mechanism is a mechanism thatlimits operations of the left-right slide mechanism and theforward-backward slide mechanism collectively. With this structure, itis possible to lock or release the two slide movements with a singleoperation.

Preferably, the home position lock mechanism includes a first couplingmember that couples a member that performs a slide movement in theleft-right direction with a member that does not perform a slidemovement in the left-right direction when the operation panel ispositioned at the point of origin in the left-right direction, and asecond coupling member that couples a member that performs a slidemovement in the forward-backward direction with a member that does notperform a slide movement in the forward-backward direction when theoperation panel is positioned at the point of origin in theforward-backward direction. With this structure, as locking can beachieved by fitting and engagement between the members, a very stronglocked state can be formed. For example, the point of origin in theforward-backward direction is the backward end, and the point of originin the left-right direction is the center position.

Preferably, the second coupling member is a thrusting member that isheld by the left-right slide base provided in the left-right slidemechanism and is inserted into a hole portion formed in the bottomsurface of the operation panel, and both the forward-backward movementand the rotation movement of the operation panel are collectivelylimited in a state in which the thrusting member is inserted into thehole portion. With this structure, by coupling the lower layer with theupper layer via the intermediate layer in the layered structure,collective locking of the intermediate layer and the upper layer can berealized with a single fitting action.

Preferably, the ultrasonic diagnosis device includes a box-shaped mainunit that houses an electronic substrate for forming an ultrasonicimage, wherein the main unit includes a rounded convex curved surfaceformed from a top face toward a front face thereof, an elongated base onwhich the display unit and the arm mechanism are mounted is provided ona rear side of the operation panel, the base includes, on a lower face,a concave curved surface corresponding to the convex curved surface, andthe concave curved surface comes adjacent to the convex curved surfacewhen the operation panel is positioned at the lowermost end andsimultaneously at the backward end. With this structure, it is possibleto bring the operation panel close to the main unit and also to lowerthe lowermost position of the operation panel.

Preferably, a rear side distance from a rotation center axis of theoperation panel to a rear end of the base is longer than a front sidedistance from the rotation center axis to a front end of the operationpanel. With this structure, the movable range of the display unit can begreatly increased. Also, as the pivot radius of the operation panel canbe reduced, handling of the operation panel can be facilitated.

Preferably, the arm mechanism includes a first pivot portion that ismounted on the rear end of the base, a first arm having one end coupledwith the first pivot portion, a second pivot portion that is mounted onthe other end of the first arm, an intermediate arm standing uprightfrom the second pivot portion, a second arm having one end coupled withan upper end of the intermediate arm and that is capable of inclinedmovement, a third pivot portion that is coupled with the other end ofthe second arm, and a tilt mechanism that is mounted on the third pivotportion. Preferably, the first arm is a horizontal arm having a movementend side slightly warped upward. Preferably, the second arm includes aparallel link mechanism. Preferably, an attitude correction mechanism isprovided between the tilt mechanism and the display unit.

Preferably, when the operation panel is at the backward end and at apoint of origin in the rotation direction and simultaneously the firstarm is at a pivot angle of 0 degrees and the base and the first armextend toward the back side so as to form a straight line, the rearmostend of the first arm comes close to the rear end of the main unitwithout going beyond the rear end. With this structure, it is possibleto avoid the problem of collision of the arm mechanism with the backwardmembers of the main unit, while increasing the movable range or thedegree of freedom of the position and attitude of the display unit.

Preferably, a friction mechanism that applies a friction force to theleft-right slide mechanism, the forward-backward slide mechanism, andthe rotation mechanism is provided so as to inhibit the operation panelfrom moving by a force acting on the display unit that is mounted on theoperation panel via the arm mechanism, when the force is applied to thedisplay unit to vary a position and an attitude of the display unit.With this structure, because it is possible to prevent the operationpanel from moving even if a force is applied to the display unit so asto vary the position and attitude of the display unit, operability canbe enhanced. The friction mechanism may be implemented by the lockmechanism. In other words, it is desirable to set the frictionresistance of each movable portion of the arm mechanism to a level withwhich the position and attitude of the display unit can be maintained toa certain degree and can be varied manually in a simple manner.

Preferably, the operation panel includes, on a bottom wall, an openingthat allows the rotational shaft member to pass therethrough, and amechanism that applies a friction force to the rotational shaft memberis provided, as a part of the friction mechanism, on the bottom wallwhich is inside the operation panel. Here, the friction mechanism may beprovided on the rotational shaft member.

Preferably, the rotational shaft member includes a passage that isformed through the rotational shaft member in the vertical direction,and at least one cable that transmits an operation force of a leverprovided in the operation panel to at least one of the left-right slidemechanism and the forward-backward slide mechanism is inserted throughthe passage.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

According to the present invention, as the degree of freedom can beincreased concerning the position and attitude of the operation panel,it is possible to mitigate the user's burden and increase theoperability and visibility of the operation panel. Alternatively,according to the present invention, it is possible to move the operationpanel naturally in the forward-backward direction, the left-rightdirection, and the rotating direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

First perspective view illustrating an ultrasonic diagnosis deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2

Second perspective view illustrating the ultrasonic diagnosis deviceaccording to the embodiment.

FIG. 3

Side view schematically illustrating a movable mechanism that changesthe position and attitude of a movable section.

FIG. 4

Side view schematically illustrating a state in which the operationpanel moves upward and forward.

FIG. 5

First exploded perspective view illustrating the movable mechanism asviewed obliquely from above.

FIG. 6

Second exploded perspective view illustrating the movable mechanism asviewed obliquely from below.

FIG. 7

Perspective view illustrating a left-right slide mechanism which isinverted.

FIG. 8

Perspective view illustrating a forward-backward slide mechanism.

FIG. 9

Perspective view illustrating a mechanism which locks theforward-backward sliding motion.

FIG. 10

Perspective view illustrating a brake mechanism which provides slidingresistance during a rotating motion.

FIG. 11

View for explaining a change in the range of a rotatable angle inaccordance with a forward and backward sliding position.

FIG. 12

View illustrating operation examples of a rotation limit mechanism.

FIG. 13

Perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the rotation limitmechanism.

FIG. 14

Top view illustrating a first example state of an operation panel and adisplay unit.

FIG. 15

Top view illustrating a second example state of an operation panel and adisplay unit.

FIG. 16

Top view illustrating a third example state of an operation panel and adisplay unit.

FIG. 17

Cross sectional view illustrating a home position lock mechanism.

FIG. 18

Cross sectional view illustrating a shutter mechanism.

FIG. 19

Cross sectional view illustrating a lower part structure of the shuttermechanism.

FIG. 20

Cross sectional view illustrating an intermediate part structure of theshutter mechanism.

FIG. 21

Cross sectional view illustrating an upper part structure of the shuttermechanism.

FIG. 22

View for explaining the operation of the shutter mechanism.

FIG. 23

Cross sectional view illustrating a state of a display unit restraintmechanism before being actuated.

FIG. 24

Cross sectional view illustrating an actuated state of the display unitrestraint mechanism.

FIG. 25

Partial cross sectional view illustrating an attitude correctionmechanism.

FIG. 26

View for explaining an operation of the attitude correction mechanism.

FIG. 27

View for explaining inclination of the display unit due to drooping downof a motion end of an arm array.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be describedwith reference to the drawings.

(1) Basic Structure of an Ultrasonic Diagnosis Device (FIGS. 1 to 4)

FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of an ultrasonic diagnosisdevice according to the present invention. This ultrasonic diagnosisdevice, which is used in the field of medicine, performstransmission/reception of ultrasound with respect to a living organism(particularly, a human body) captures a received signal, and forms anultrasonic image based on the received signal.

The ultrasonic diagnosis device 10 includes a main unit 12, a movablesection 14, and a movable mechanism 16. The main unit 12 has a box shapeand houses therein a plurality of electronic circuit boards and powersource sections. The lower part of the main unit 12 protrudes slightlyforward to form a main unit base 12A. Four casters 26 are provided underthe main unit base 12A. The projection portion of the main unit base 12Afunctions as a footrest on which a foot is placed. The main unit 12includes a front face 12B, a side face 12C, and a top face 12D. Arounded convex corner surface is formed from the front face 12B over tothe top face 12D. A connector unit 28 formed of a plurality of main unitside connectors is provided on the front face 12B.

A probe is to be removably mounted to each main unit side connector.More specifically, a probe is composed of a probe connector (a connectorbox), a probe cable, and a probe head. The probe connector is mounted toone of the main unit side connectors. A support column, which will bedescribed below, is provided on the main unit base 12A, and is coveredwith a column cover 30. The support column is provided on the front faceside of the unit 12, in the center in the left-right direction. A handle12E is provided on the backward end of the main unit 12.

As will be described below, the movable mechanism 16 includes a liftingmechanism, a left-right slide mechanism, a forward-backward slidemechanism, and a rotation mechanism. The left-right slide mechanism, theforward-backward slide mechanism, and the rotation mechanism areprovided in a layered structure and together form a horizontal movementmechanism. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 34 indicates a knob thatconstitutes a part of a home position lock mechanism.

In the present embodiment, the movable section 14 is composed of anoperation panel 18, a base 20, an arm mechanism 22, and a display unit24. The operation panel 18 is composed of a first operation section 36and a second operation section 38 provided to rise from the back side ofthe first operation section 36. The first operation section 36 has afirst operation surface, and the second operation section 38 has asecond operation surface. A plurality of switches or the like arearranged on the first operation surface, and a sub display or the likeis provided on the second operation surface. The angle of inclination ofthe second operation surface is larger than that of the first operationsurface. A handle 18A is provided on the front side of the firstoperation section 36. This handle 18A also serves as a palm rest onwhich a wrist or a portion near the wrist is placed.

On the back side of the operation panel 18, the base 20 extending in thedepth direction is provided, and the arm mechanism 22 is mounted on thebase 20. The arm mechanism 22 is a mechanism for varying the positionand attitude (orientation) of the display unit 24. The display unit 24is formed as a flat panel display, and reference numeral 40 indicates adisplay unit main body. A handle 42 having an arc shape is provided onthe lower portion on the front surface of the display unit main body 40.A user can hold the handle 42 to position the display unit 24 or directthe display unit 24 at a desired attitude. Further, by holding thehandle 18A to move the handle 18A in the horizontal direction, theposition of the movable section 14 in the left-right direction and theforward-backward direction can be determined and also the movablesection 14 can be rotated about a predetermined rotation axis. Also, onthe upper surface of an attachment end of the base 20, on the back sideof the second operation section 38, a display unit restraint mechanismis provided.

FIG. 2 illustrates the ultrasonic diagnosis device illustrated in FIG. 1as viewed obliquely from the back. As described above, the ultrasonicdiagnosis device 10 includes the movable section which includes theoperation panel 18, the base 20, the arm mechanism 22, and the displayunit 24. The movable section is supported by the main unit 12. Morespecifically, the movable section is supported by the main unit 12 viathe movable mechanism, which will be described below.

The arm mechanism 22 will be described in detail. On the backward end20A of the base 20, a first pivot portion 44 is provided. One end of afirst arm 46 is mounted on the first pivot portion 44, and a secondpivot portion 48 is mounted on the other end of the first arm 46. Anintermediate arm 50 which stands upright and has a short length ismounted on the second pivot portion 48, and an upper end of theintermediate arm 50 is coupled to one end of a second arm 52. The secondarm 52 is an arm having parallel links capable of an inclined movement,and a third pivot portion 54 is provided on the other end of the secondarm 52. Further, a tilt portion 56 is provided between the third pivotportion 54 and the display unit 24, and an attitude correction mechanism58 which will be described below is provided between the tilt portion 56and the display unit 24.

The first arm 46 is a horizontal arm, and the other end portion of thefirst arm 46 is warped slightly upward. In the arm mechanism 22, theelements from the first pivot portion 44 to the tilt portion 56 form anarm mechanism main unit, and the attitude correction mechanism 58 isprovided further to the arm mechanism main unit. As will be describedbelow, the attitude correction mechanism 58 is a mechanism that cancels,when the end portion of the arm mechanism 22 on the display unit sidedroops down to make the display unit 24 appear to be inclined orrotated, such an inclination or rotation of the display unit 24.

FIG. 3 illustrates the principle of the movable mechanism 16. FIG. 3illustrates a schematic structure, and the details of each mechanismwill be illustrated in FIG. 5 and subsequent drawings. As describedabove, the main unit 12 includes the front face 12B and the top face12D, and the rounded convex corner face 12F is formed from the frontface 12B over to the top face 12D. The movable mechanism 16 has alifting mechanism 60 and a horizontal movement mechanism 68. Thehorizontal movement mechanism 68 includes a left-right slide mechanism62, a forward-backward slide mechanism 64, and a rotation mechanism 66.These mechanisms are stacked to form a layered structure, as describedabove.

The lifting mechanism 60 includes a support column formed of a fixedcolumn 70 and a movable column 72. The movable column 72 is held by thefixed column 70 in a manner that the movable column 72 can move in theupward-downward direction. Reference numeral 73 indicates a holdingmember for this purpose. A movable base 74 that performs an up-downmovement is coupled to an upper end portion 72A of the movable column72. The movable base 74 is a horizontal plate that expands toward theforward direction from the upper end portion 72A.

The left-right slide mechanism 62 is mounted on the movable base 74. Theleft-right slide mechanism 62 includes a pair of rails 78 arranged inthe front-back direction, and a pair of rail slots 76 that receive therails 78 for allowing slide movement thereof in the left-rightdirection. Here, reference numeral 86 indicates the home position lockmechanism that includes a knob 34. The details of the home position lockmechanism 86 will be described below.

The forward-backward slide mechanism 64 includes a center case 79 havinga bottom surface which is a left-right slide base. On the left-rightslide base, a pair of rails 80 are arranged side by side in theleft-right direction. A slider 82 is mounted on the pair of rails 80.The slider 82 constitutes a forward-backward slide base, on which therotation mechanism 66 is mounted. Here, a rotation limitation mechanismwhich will be described below is provided between the left-right slidebase and the operation panel 18. Further, a shutter mechanism 84 isprovided for opening/closing an opening portion formed on the uppersurface side of the center case 79, as will also be described in detailbelow. The rotation mechanism 66 is a mechanism that allows theoperation panel 18; i.e. the movable section 14, to rotate about arotation center axis 67. The rotation center axis 67 is specificallypositioned at a sliding position in the left-right and forward-backwarddirections (a two-dimensional position), which is defined by theleft-right slide mechanism 62 and the forward-backward slide mechanism64.

As described above, the operation panel 18 includes the first operationsection 36 and the second operation section 38, and also includes thehandle 18A provided on the front surface side. On the bottom wall of theoperation panel 18, a rotation member (rotor) of the rotation mechanism66 is coupled. The base 20 includes an attachment portion 20B and a rearend portion 20A. The attachment portion 20B is coupled to the operationpanel 18 at an intermediate location on the back surface side thereof,and the base 20 extends therefrom toward the depth side, with the endportion of the base 20 being the rear end portion 20A. A display unitrestraint mechanism, which will be described below, is placed on anupper surface 200 of the attachment portion 20B. The lower surface 20Cof the base 20 is curved to have a concave shape as viewed from the sidesurface direction.

In FIG. 3, the movable section 14 is in a home position. Morespecifically, the movable section 14 is located at the lowermost end,the backward end, and the center position in the left-right direction,with the rotation angle being 0 degrees. In such a case, with respect tothe rounded convex corner face 12F formed from the front face 12B overto the top face 12D of the main unit 12, the lower surface 20C, which isa similarly rounded concave curved surface, is in a close position. Withsuch a positional relationship between these members, it is possible toavoid collision of the movable section 14 with the main unit 12 and alsoto position the operation panel 18 on the front face side of the mainunit 12 at a lowest possible location.

In FIG. 3, the length from the rotation center axis 67 to the front endof the operation panel 18 is indicated as L1, and the length from therotation center axis 67 to the rear end of the base 20 is indicated asL2. As illustrated, L2 is greater than L1. Accordingly, the operationpanel 18 can be turned in a small radius even when the movable sectionis rotated, whereas with the rotation of the base 20 in a large radius,the region within which the display unit can move can be expanded. Here,the distance from the top face 12D to the lowermost position of theoperation panel 18 is indicated as h1, and the distance from the topface 12D to the lower surface position of the movable base 74 isindicated as h2. In the present embodiment, because the lowermostposition of the operation panel 18 can be lowered and also the thicknessof the horizontal movement mechanism 68 is made small, as indicated byh1 and h2, it is possible to form a large space under the horizontalmovement mechanism 68 at all occasions. As the support column and themovable base 74 form an inverted L shape as viewed from the side face,in combination with such a configuration, it is possible to form asufficient space under the horizontal movement mechanism 68. The user'sfoot and the like can be placed in such a space.

As described above, the horizontal movement mechanism 68 has a layeredstructure. From this point of view, the movable base 74 forms thelowermost layer, the left-right slide base forms a lower layer, theforward-backward slide base forms an intermediate layer, and therotation base forms an upper layer. Then, the bottom wall of theoperation panel 18 forms the uppermost layer. In this embodiment, withsuch a layered structure being assumed as a precondition, rotationlimitation or the like can be attained with a simple mechanism. Thiswill be described below.

FIG. 4 illustrates the movable section 14 which is located at the liftedposition and is also at the forward end. Here, the rotation angle of themovable section 14 is 0 degrees. The center case 79 houses therein theforward-backward slide mechanism 64 and the main portions of therotation mechanism 66. A side case 88 is provided on each of the rightand left sides of the center case 79. These side cases 88 cover rightand left end portions of the left-right slide mechanism 62, and eachside case 88 is specifically formed of an upper cover 88A and a lowercover 88B. The side cases 88 are fixed to the center case 79 and move inthe left and right directions with the left-right movement of the centercase 79. Here, it is possible to form the side cases 88 integrally withthe center case 79.

The upper surface of the center case 79 is opened, and the centerportion thereof serves as a passage for the rotation member in therotation mechanism 66. When the movable section 14 is positioned at theforward end, a large opening portion 79A is to be exposed on the rearside of the operation panel 18. However, such an exposure of the openingportion 79A would deteriorate the appearance and would also causeproblems such as poor safety or entry of foreign matter. Accordingly, inthe present embodiment, a shutter mechanism, which will be describedbelow, is provided. By closing the opening portion 79A, which isexposed, with such a shutter mechanism 84, foreign matter externallyentering as indicated by reference numeral 92 can be blocked. As theleft-right slide mechanism 62 is covered with the side cases 88 asdescribed above, this mechanism is also protected from an external forceor the like, as indicated by reference numeral 90.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the various mechanismsare covered with the center case 79 and the side cases 88, which resultsin an increase in safety or the like. Further, the opening portion whichis necessarily formed with the forward movement of the operation panel18 can be specially closed by the shutter mechanism 84.

(2) Movable Mechanism (FIGS. 5 to 13)

Next, the movable mechanism will be described in detail with referenceto FIGS. 5 and 6. First, FIG. 5 will be referenced.

As described above, the lifting mechanism 60 includes the support column94 and the movable base 74. The support column 94 is composed of thefixed column 70 and the movable column 72. The left-right slidemechanism 62 includes the center case 79, and a pair of upper portions88 a forming a portion of the side cases are provided on the right andleft sides of the center case 79. Lower portions of the side case areomitted in the drawing. The center case and the side cases together forma mechanism case. The bottom wall of the center case 79 is theleft-right slide base 96.

The forward-backward slide mechanism 64 includes a pair offorward-backward slide rails 98 that are members extending in theforward-backward direction. A forward-backward slide base 100 is mountedon the pair of forward-backward slide rails 98. Specifically, theforward-backward slide base 100 is provided on a pair offorward-backward sliders 102 such that the forward-backward slide base100 can move in the forward-backward direction. More specifically, onthe left-right slide base 96, the pair of forward-backward slide rails98 is fixed, and also a block 104 and a guide shaft 110 are fixed. Theblock 104 includes projecting portions 106 and 108, as will be describedbelow. The projecting portions 106 and 108 are rollers that constitute aportion of the rotation limitation mechanism.

The rotation mechanism 66 includes a non-rotational base (stator) 112, arotor (a rotational base serving as a rotor) 114, and a non-rotationalgear 116. The rotor 114 performs a rotational movement about therotation center axis and is coupled to a bottom wall 119 of theoperation panel 18. The non-rotational base 112 and the non-rotationalgear 116 are coupled integrally. The upper surface of the center case 79is opened and serves as a space for movement of the assembly includingthe rotor 114. The shutter mechanism 84 is provided so as to close suchan opening portion as required. While the shutter mechanism 84 is in aclosed state in FIG. 5, the shutter mechanism 84 is placed in an openedstate when the forward-backward slide base 100 is located at thebackward end. When the forward-backward slide base 100 is located at theforward end, the shutter mechanism 84 is in a closed state asillustrated in FIG. 5.

The operation panel 18 includes a panel frame 118 having the bottom wall119. The panel frame 118 includes a handle portion 118A on the frontside thereof and also has a hollow interior. An opening portion 119A isformed in the bottom wall 119 slightly toward the backward side withrespect to the center thereof. The rotor 114 is attached to the openingportion 119A, and the non-rotational gear 116 protrudes into the panelframe 118 via the opening portion 119A.

The base 20 includes a rear end portion 20A in which an opening portion20E for mounting the pivot mechanism and for passing a cabletherethrough is formed. A passage 20F serving as a slot is formedcontinuously to the opening portion 20E, so as to allow a cable to beexternally inserted into the rear end portion after the movable sectionis set onto the main unit.

In the hollow portion of the handle portion 118A, a release lever 124 isdisposed, and also cables 126 and 128 are also disposed as required. Therelease lever 124 is operated for releasing a lock state when theoperation of the left-right slide mechanism 62 and the forward-backwardslide mechanism 64 is in a stop state; i.e. in a lock state, in thepresent embodiment. The lock state is attained by holding the shaftmember with a fixed force, and at this time, the lock state is attainedby increasing the frictional resistance. A brake mechanism 120 is placedon the bottom wall 119 of the panel frame 118, and engages thenon-rotational gear 116 to exert a constant braking force with therotation movement of the operation panel 18. As the frictionalresistance of the brake mechanism 120 is relatively large, the operationpanel 18 is prevented from performing rotation movement by itself, evenif an external force acts on the display unit to move the arm mechanism.The cable 122 performs a locking operation when the brake mechanism 120functions as a lock mechanism.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded perspective view of the movable mechanismas viewed obliquely from below. As has been already described, frombottom to top, the left-right slide mechanism, the forward-backwardslide mechanism, the rotation mechanism, and the operation panel arestacked. The left-right slide mechanism 62 will be described. Theleft-right slide base 96 is a horizontal plate, and a pair of left-rightslide rails 130, which are members extending in the left-rightdirection, are provided on the lower surface side thereof. A guide shaft132 is attached to the left-right slide base 96. Reference numeral 134indicates a left-right slide lock mechanism, which holds the guide shaft132 to thereby lock the slide movement in the left-right direction.Further, reference numeral 136 indicates a home position lock mechanism,which will be described below. Reference numeral 128 indicates a railstand which is fixed to the movable base 74. The left-right slide base96 moves freely in the left-right direction on the rail stand 128. Onthe left-right slide base 96, the rotation mechanism moves freely in asliding manner in the forward-backward direction by means of theforward-backward slide mechanism 64.

On the bottom wall 119 of the operation panel, a frame body 140projecting downward from the lower surface side thereof is formed.Specifically, the frame body 140 is formed on the bottom surface 119B.The frame body 140 defines a movement region 142 for receiving aprojecting portion pair 138 serving as a moving element and allowing theprojecting portion pair 138 to move therein. The frame body 140 and themoving elements 138 serving as the projecting portion pair constitute arotation limitation mechanism. The rotation limitation mechanism is amechanism that variably sets the rotatable angle range in accordancewith the sliding position of the operation panel in the forward-backwarddirection. In the present embodiment, the rotatable angle range is setto zero when the operation panel is located at the backward end, and therotatable angle range gradually increases towards the forward end. Inorder to define such a change, the frame body 140 has a left-right widththat gradually widens from the front side toward the rear side thereof.Here, FIG. 6 also illustrates the shutter mechanism 84 in its closedposition. When the forward-backward slide base is located at thebackward end on the forward-backward slide mechanism 64, the shuttermechanism 84 is in an opened state as described above. The bottom wall119 includes the opening portion 119A formed therein, into which aportion of the rotor 114 is inserted.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11, each of the mechanisms describedabove will be individually described.

FIG. 7 illustrates the left-right slide mechanism 62, although theleft-right slide base 96 is illustrated as being inverted. On the lowersurface side of the left-right slide base 96, the pair of left-rightslide rails 130 is provided as described above. The pair of left-rightslide rails 130 are provided at a fixed interval in the front-reardirection. The pair of slide rails 130 engage the rail stand 128 suchthat the left-right slide base 96 is movable with respect to the railstand 128 in the left-right direction. The left-right slide lockmechanism 134 is mounted on the rail stand 128. The left-right slidelock mechanism 134 is a mechanism that locks the slide movement in theleft-right direction by holding the guide shaft 132. The operation forceof the left-right slide lock mechanism 134 is applied by a cable 136, aspring, or the like. Actually, a release force is applied by the cable136. The left-right slide lock mechanism 134 includes a slide block 138for holding the guide shaft 132, and the slide block 138 includes, onthe front surface side thereof, an engagement surface 139. Theengagement surface 139 has an engagement hole that receives a horizontalpin provided in the home position lock mechanism. The surfaces on theright and left sides of the engagement hole are slanted.

FIG. 8 illustrates the forward-backward slide mechanism 64. Theforward-backward slide mechanism 64 includes a pair of forward-backwardslide rails 98 which are provided in the left-right direction at a fixeddistance. The forward-backward slide mechanism 64 further includes aguide shaft 110. A block 104, which is provided on the front end side ofthe guide shaft 110, is fixed to the left-right slide base. On theforward-backward slide rails 98, the forward-backward slide base 100,which is movable in the forward-backward direction, is mounted via apair of sliders 142. The non-rotational base 112 is mounted on theforward-backward base 100. The non-rotational base 112 includes a hollowportion formed in the center portion, in which the forward-backwardslide lock mechanism 144 is disposed. As illustrated in FIG. 9, theforward-backward slide lock mechanism 144 is a mechanism that locks aslide movement in the forward-backward direction by holding the guideshaft 110. The cable 146 or a spring mechanism is provided for applyingsuch an operation force. More specifically, the cable 146 transmits arelease force.

Referring back to FIG. 8, on the forward-backward slide base 100, a pairof slide pins 220 are formed at a fixed distance in the left-rightdirection so as to project therefrom. Each slide pin 220, which is amember projecting upward, constitutes an important element of theshutter mechanism. Specifically, when the forward-backward slide base100 moves in the forward-backward direction, the pair of slide pins 220also move in the forward-backward direction accordingly, such that thepair of slide pins 220 operate in accordance with the sliding positionin the forward-backward direction to thereby determine the degree ofopening of the shutter plate, as will be described below.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example of the brake mechanism 120. The rotor 114is coupled to the bottom wall in a fixed manner. As such, the operationpanel can rotate freely with the rotor 114. A pair of racks; i.e. afirst rack 148 and a second rack 150, engage with the non-rotationalgear 116. The second rack 150 is held by the block 151 such that thesecond rack 150 can move in the axial direction. A guide shaft 154 iscoupled to the second rack 150 via a pair of arm members 152, and a pairof sliders 156 are provided on the guide shaft 154. The first rack 148is fixed to these sliders 156. A grip portion 158 is provided at thecenter portion of the guide shaft 154 and is fixed to the first rack148.

When the operation panel rotates, the first rack 148 and the second rack150 that are engaged with the non-rotational gear 116 move in a slidingmanner in opposite directions. In this case, the guide shaft 154 alsomoves in a sliding manner with respect to the grip portion 158. Byexerting a predetermined brake force on the grip portion 158, thesliding movement of the guide shaft 154 is restricted; specifically, thebrake force acts on the rotation movement of the operation panel.Although the cable 122 is used to control the operation of the gripportion 158, this cable 122 is not necessary if the brake force iscontinuously exerted on the grip portion 158. Further, a single rack maybe provided, rather than two racks.

FIG. 11 illustrates the release lever 124. The release lever 124 is amember which is operated by a user to release (an unlock operation) theplurality of lock mechanisms collectively. Specifically, wires 160 and162 are wound around the rotational shaft of the release lever 124 via aguide 164, and a wire 166 is similarly wound around the rotational shaftof the release lever 124 via a guide 168. Accordingly, by holding therelease lever 124, it is possible to place the three lock mechanismsinto a released state simultaneously. In the present embodiment,however, as a brake force continuously acts on the rotation mechanism,the release mechanism actually functions only on the left-right slidemechanism and the forward-backward slide mechanism. More specifically,only two wires are actually wound around the rotational shaft of therelease lever 124. As a matter of course, the release lever 124 can beoperated to perform a lock operation. In any case, such a structure, inwhich it is possible to achieve a plurality of lock (unlock) operationsby a single action, is simple and can provide good operability.

FIG. 12 illustrates an operation of the rotation limitation mechanism.FIG. 12(A) illustrates a state in which the operation panel is at thebackward end; FIG. 12(B) illustrates a state in which the operationpanel is at the center position in the forward-backward direction; andFIG. 12(C) illustrates a state in which the operation panel is at theforward end. In FIG. 12, the left side corresponds to the front side ofthe operation panel and the right side corresponds to the rear side ofthe operation panel. Reference numeral 67 indicates a rotation centeraxis.

In FIG. 12(A), the frame body 140 defines a movement region 142 of amoving element 138. More specifically, the frame body 140 is formed by aregulation wall 170. In the movement region 142, the width d in theleft-right direction gradually increases from the front side toward therear side. Reference numeral 142A indicates a front side position,reference numeral 142B indicates an intermediate position, and areference numeral 142C indicates a rear side position. In FIG. 12(A),the moving element 138 is positioned at the forward end of the movementregion 142, and is not in a state in which the movement element can movein the left-right direction. At such a home position, the rotationalmovement of the operation panel is inhibited. In other words, therotatable angle range is zero. As such, because the rotational movementof the operation panel is restricted when the operation panel is at thebackward end, it is possible to avoid the problem that the movablesection collides with the main unit.

In FIG. 12(B), the moving element 138 is at the intermediate position;i.e., the operation panel is drawn toward the front side to theintermediate position. In such a state, the moving element 138 can moveover a predetermined range in the left-right direction; morespecifically, can move along an arc. In FIG. 12(C), the operation panelis drawn to the forward end, and in this state, the moving element 138can move maximally in the left-right direction; more specifically, inthe arc direction, and a large rotatable angle range is set.

As described above, with the rotation limitation mechanism, it ispossible to adaptively set the rotatable angle range in accordance withthe sliding position of the operation panel in the forward-backwarddirection. Accordingly, there can be obtained the advantage that theangle range which is appropriate for the sliding position can be setwhile avoiding collision between the movable section and the main unit.In particular, as a very large rotation is permitted when the operationpanel is located at the forward end or near the forward end, theadvantage of significantly improved usability can be achieved.

FIG. 13 illustrates another embodiment of the rotation limitationmechanism. On a left-right slide base 172, a single forward-backwardslide rail 176 is provided, and two guide shafts 178 are provided via apredetermined member. On the forward-backward slide rail 176, aforward-backward slide base 174 is mounted. Further, a frame body 186which defines a movement region of a contact element 182 is mounted onthe left-right slide base 172. The width of the frame body 186 in theleft-right direction is increased from the rear side toward the frontside. Specifically, the change of size in the frame body 186 is oppositethat of the frame body illustrated in FIG. 12.

The contact element 182 described above is mounted on a rotator; i.e., arotation base 180, via a coupling shaft 184. FIG. 13 illustrates a statein which the operation panel is located at the backward end, in whichstate the contact element 182 is located at the rearmost position, andthe movement of the contact element 182 in the left-right direction iscompletely restricted by the frame body 186. In other words, at such ahome position, the rotation movement of the operation panel isinhibited. With the sliding movement of the operation panel in theforward direction, movement of the contact element 182 in the left-rightdirection is permitted. Specifically, the rotation of the operationpanel is allowed in accordance with the left-right width of the framebody 186.

(3) Setting Examples (FIGS. 14 to 16)

Next, various setting examples will be described with reference to FIGS.14 to 16. Referring to FIG. 14, the handle 18A is provided on the frontside of the operation panel 18. The user can move the movable section 14while holding the handle 18A, thereby setting the position and attitudeof the operation panel 18 as desired. Further, the handle 42 is providedon the display unit 24, and the display unit 24 can be set to a desiredposition and attitude by moving the display unit 24 while holding thehandle 42. As described above, the movable mechanism which supports themovable section 14 is normally in a locked state or in a state in whicha friction is exerted, and the arm mechanism is also in such a lockedstate. However, because, in the present embodiment, the brake force inthe movable mechanism is set to be always greater than the brake forcein the arm mechanism, it is possible to prevent the movable section 14from moving by itself when the display unit 24 is moved.

In FIG. 14, the operation panel 18 is located at the center position inthe left-right direction and at the backward end in the forward-backwarddirection. The pivot angle of the operation panel in this state is setto 0 degrees. In other words, the operation panel 18 is located at thehome position. Meanwhile, due to the action of the arm mechanism 22, thedisplay unit 24 is drawn to the position above the operation panel 18.

FIG. 15 illustrates a state in which the movable section is slid to theleft direction from the state illustrated in FIG. 14. Further, FIG. 16illustrates a state in which the operation panel 18 is further drawn inthe forward direction and to the right direction from the state of theoperation panel 18 as illustrated in FIG. 14 and is then further pivotedcounterclockwise. In another example, by positioning the operation panelat the right end and forward end and then pivoting the operation panel18 clockwise, even when a user, who is located a certain distance fromthe main unit, takes a slanted posture with respect to the main unit, itis possible to position the operation panel right in front of the userand further direct the operation panel toward the user. Also, in thepresent embodiment, it is possible to move the display unit in back ofthe main unit and further direct the display unit toward the rear side.It is also possible to locate the display unit to the right side of themain unit and then lower and position the display unit near the head ofthe user lying in a bed. As such, in the present embodiment, as the baseextends in the depth direction and the arms in the arm mechanism have acertain degree of length, the movable region of the display unit 24 issignificantly large.

(4) Home Position Lock Mechanism (FIG. 17)

With reference to FIG. 17, the home position lock mechanism 136 will bedescribed. The home position lock mechanism 136 is a mechanism whichinhibits the slide movement in both the left-right direction and theforward-backward direction when the operation panel; i.e., the movablesection, is at a home position. In this state, the operation panel isprohibited from moving by merely gripping the release lever 124.

The knob 34 is connected to a shaft 188, and with the rotation of theknob 34, the shaft 188 rotates, which further causes a cam member 190 torotate. Here, the cam member 190 and the peripheral structure thereofare illustrated in a simplified manner. With the action of the cammember 190, a horizontal pin 192 is driven forward. The horizontal pin192 is urged forward by a spring 196. Stated conversely, the horizontalpin 192 is capable of retreating movement over a predetermined distance.

On the movable base, the slide block 138 is provided. The slide block138 has, as a front surface, an engagement surface 139 having anengagement hole 194. The right and left sides of the engagement hole 194are formed as slope surfaces. Accordingly, if, in a state in which thehorizontal pin 192 projects, the left-right slide base 96 moveshorizontally to reach the center position, the leading end portion ofthe horizontal pin 192 ascends the slope surface formed on theengagement surface 139 and finally comes into the engagement hole 194.In this state, the movement of the left-right slide base 96 in theleft-right direction is prohibited; i.e., the left-right slide base 96is placed into a locked state in the left-right direction.

On the other hand, with the rotation movement of the shaft 188, a member198 extending in the vertical direction is thrust upward to therebythrust a first vertical pin 202 and a second vertical pin 206 upward.However, a spring 204 is interposed between the first vertical pin 202and the second vertical pin 206, and the second vertical pin 206 isurged upward with respect to the first vertical pin 202. As such, astructure which extends through a block 104 in the up-down direction isformed in the block 104, and the thrust-up force of the first verticalpin 202 is applied to the second vertical pin 206 via the spring 204.The upper portion of the second vertical pin 206 is formed as a thrustportion 108, which is a roller. As described above, the frame body 140defines a movement space of the thrust portion 108 and includes a recessportion 142 a formed at a position corresponding to the home position.The recess portion 142 a is a hollow and therefore has a shape which isretracted upward with respect to the bottom surface 119B. Accordingly,when the knob 34 is operated, an upward urging force is continuouslyapplied to the thrust portion 108, so that the thrust portion 108 moveshorizontally while remaining in contact with the bottom surface 119B.Then, when the thrust portion 108 is fitted into the recess portion 142a, the horizontal movement of the thrust portion 108 is inhibited;specifically, the bottom wall 119 is fixed with respect to theleft-right slide base 96. In this state, the slide movement in theforward-backward direction and the rotation movement are inhibited. Assuch, it is possible to lock the left-right movement, theforward-backward movement, and also the rotation movement by simplyoperating the knob 34. In addition, the operation of the knob 34 can beperformed at positions other than the center position or the forward endposition, and when the center position is achieved in the slidemovement, a lock state is automatically formed, and also when therotation angle becomes 0 degrees at the backward end position, a lockstate in the forward-backward direction and the rotation direction canbe automatically formed. In the present embodiment, by using the layeredrelationship to exert an acting force through a plurality of layers asdescribed above, the integral lock mechanism can be achieved.

(5) Shutter Mechanism (FIGS. 18 to 22)

Next, with reference to FIGS. 18 to 22 the shutter mechanism will bedescribed in detail. Referring to FIG. 18, the pair of forward-backwardslide rails 98 are provided on the left-right slide base 96, and theforward-backward slide base 100 is mounted on these forward-backwardslide rails 98. In FIG. 18, the forward-backward slide base 100 is atthe forward end. On the forward-backward slide base 100, the rotor 114is rotatably mounted, and the non-rotational gear 116 is furtherprovided. The rotor 114 is fitted into an annular base 119B formed inthe bottom wall 119, and is integrated with the bottom wall 119 in sucha fitted state. The non-rotational gear 116 enters the panel frame viathe opening portion 119A. Only a slight gap is present between theforward-backward slide base 100 and the bottom wall 119, and in thepresent embodiment, the shutter mechanism 84 is disposed in such a gap.The shutter mechanism 84 may be coupled with the left-right slide base96 or placed within the center case. The shutter mechanism 84 includes apair of lower plates 208, a pair of first shutter plates 210, a pair ofsecond shutter plates 212, and a pair of upper plates 214. Each of theplates 208, 210, 212, and 214 is a thin sheet-like member which isformed of a resin having a black color, for example. Each plate isdesirably formed of an opaque member.

On the pair of lower plates 208, a pair of rotational shafts 218 arespaced at an interval in the left-right direction. Each rotational shaft218 functions as a rotational shaft for the respective first shutterplate 210 and second shutter plate 212. The pair of rotational shafts218 and the pair of upper plates 214 may be coupled in a fixed manner.Each of the pair of lower plates 208, the pair of first shutter plates210, and the pair of second shutter plates 212 has a single pin slotformed therein as will be described below, and a slide pin 220 isinserted in each pin slot. A pair of slide pins 220 are provided at adistance in the left-right direction on the forward-backward slide base100, and perform a slide movement with the forward-backward slidemovement of the forward-backward slide base 100. Meanwhile, the pair ofrotational shafts 218 do not slide in the forward-backward direction,although the pair of rotational shafts 218 slide in the left-rightdirection with the movement of the slide base 96. As indicated byreference numeral 216, the opening in the upper portion of the main caseserves as a movement space for the rotor 114; specifically, an exposedopening portion is uncovered on the rear side of the operation panel,and this leads to a problem that the internal mechanisms are exposedthrough such an opening portion as indicated by reference numeral 216.The shutter mechanism is a mechanism which conceals such an openingportion with the slide movement of the operation panel in theforward-backward direction.

FIG. 19 illustrates the pair of lower plates 208. In FIG. 19, the upperside corresponds to the front direction of the operation panel and thelower side corresponds to the rear side of the operation panel. In FIG.19, the forward-backward slide base 100 is at the forward end. Eachlower plate 208 includes a linear pin slot 222. The pair of slide pins220 spaced in the left-right direction are provided on theforward-backward slide base 100. In addition, a pair of rotationalshafts 218 are provided as fixed shafts.

FIG. 20 illustrates a pair of the first shutter plates 210. Each firstshutter plate 210 performs rotational movement about the rotationalshaft 218. A pin slot 224 is formed in each of the first shutter plates210. Each pin slot 224 has a bent shape including a linear portion and aportion directed inwardly therefrom as illustrated in FIG. 20. In FIG.20, the pair of the first shutter plates 210 are in a closed state. Thepair of first shutter plates 210 in an opened state are indicated byreference numeral 210A. The pair of first shutter plates 210 serve toconceal especially the back area in the exposed space portion.

FIG. 21 illustrates a pair of second shutter plates 212. Each secondshutter plate 212 performs a rotational movement about the rotationalshaft 218. In the state illustrated in FIG. 21, a pin slot 226 is formedof an inwardly directed portion and a straight portion. In other words,the pin slot 226 has a bent shape. In FIG. 22, the pair of secondshutter plates 212 are in a closed state. The pair of first shutterplates 212 in an opened state are indicated by reference numeral 212A.The pair of second shutter plates 212 serve to conceal the portion ofthe exposed opening portion from the intermediate area to the rear area.

Next, with reference to FIG. 22, the operation of the shutter mechanismwill be described. FIG. 22(A) illustrates a state in which theforward-backward slide base 100 is at the backward end; FIG. 22(B)illustrates a state in which the forward-backward slide base 100 is atthe intermediate position; and FIG. 22(C) illustrates a state in whichthe forward-backward slide base 100 is at the forward end. First, in thestate illustrated in (A), all the shutter plates are in the openedstate. Specifically, because the operation panel is located at thebackward end and the opening portion is covered by the operation panellocated above, the problem of exposure of the opening portion does notarise. Here, a passage of the rotational shaft member is formed betweenthe two layered members provided on the left and right sides, and thispassage forms the exposed opening portion at the rear portion of themoving rotational shaft member.

In FIG. 22(B), the operation panel is at the intermediate position, andin such a state, only the pair of first shutter plates 210 is placed inthe closed state and the exposed opening portion formed on the rear sideof the rotational shaft member is partially covered. In the stateillustrated in FIG. 22(C), the operation panel is at the forward end,and a large exposed opening portion is formed on the back of therotational shaft member. By placing the pair of second shutter plates212 into the closed state, such an exposed opening portion issubstantially covered. More specifically, when the operation panel movesfrom the backward end to the forward end, the pair of first shutterplates first start the closing movement, and subsequently the pair ofsecond shutter plates start the closing movement. As such, by shiftingthe operation times for the two shutter plate pairs located at the upperand lower levels and also by allocating separate areas to be covered tothese shutter plate pairs, even when a relatively large exposed openingportion is generated, such an opening portion can be concealedeffectively and rapidly.

In the shutter mechanism described above, the pin slot is formed in eachshutter plate, and the slide pin moves within the pin slot. The contactrelationship between the pin slot and the slide pin changes depending onthe lateral displacement of the pin slot; i.e., the shape of the pinslot, resulting in generation of a rotational force of the shutterplates. In the present embodiment, by employing the double shutterplates which are vertically layered and allowing these shutter plates tooperate stepwise, and also by separating the areas covered by theseshutter plates in the forward-backward direction, it is possible toconceal the exposed opening at an appropriate timing with the movementof the rotational shaft member and also to exert the concealing effectover the whole opening portion even if the opening portion to beconcealed is large.

The pair of cover plates described above may be provided as required.Providing such a pair of cover plates can provide an advantage ofenabling smooth movement of the shutter plates and also allowingphysical protection of the shutter plates. In the present embodiment,because the two shutter plates are sandwiched by pairs of plates locatedabove and below these shutter plates, it is possible to enable the twoshutter plates to move smoothly in the horizontal direction. As theshutter mechanism of the present embodiment is configured to have thelayered plate structure as described above, it is possible to reduce theoverall thickness of the shutter mechanism to be significantly thin,which results in the advantage that the thickness of the horizontalmovement mechanism can be reduced.

(6) Display Unit Restraint Mechanism (FIGS. 23 and 24)

Next, with reference to FIGS. 23 and 24, the display unit restraintmechanism will be described. Referring to FIG. 23, the operation panel18 includes the second operation section 38, the upper end portion 38Aof which is illustrated in an enlarged view in FIG. 23. Meanwhile, thebase 20 is coupled to the back surface side of the operation panel 18,and FIG. 23 illustrates the attachment end of the base 20. A displayunit restraint mechanism 228 is provided in a gap having a triangularcross section which is sandwiched by the top face front end 20D of thebase 20 and the back surface 38B of the upper end portion 38A.

The display unit restraint mechanism 228 is a mechanism which holds thehandle 42 provided to the display unit to restrain the display unititself during transportation of the device or the like. The display unitrestraint mechanism 228 includes a fixed portion 230 and a rotationportion 232. The fixed portion 230 includes a catch member 236 forming areceiving groove 234. The catch member 236 has an opening which isopened toward the upward direction, which functions as a receiving portof the handle 42.

The rotation portion 232 is capable of rotational movement about apredetermined rotation center axis. The rotation portion 232 includes acover portion 240 serving as a forward end on the rotation side. Thesurface of the cover portion 240 on the outer side is curved outward andbent, where a catching surface 240A is formed. By catching the catchingsurface 240A by finger tips to cause the cover portion 240 to move, itis possible to rotate the entire rotation portion 232.

The rotation portion 232 includes a hook member 242 which performs arotation movement about a fixed axis 244. A spring 248 applies an urgingforce to the hook member 242 in a direction in which the hook member 242rises up. The outer surface of the hook member 242 is a saw-tootheduneven surface 242A having projections and depressions, and a fixing pin246 is in contact with the uneven surface 242A in the state illustratedin FIG. 23. As the urging force toward the outside acts on the hookmember 242 by the spring 248, the fixing pin 246 fits into thedepression of the uneven surface 242A, and, when the rotational section232 is rotated, a consecutive click feeling can be obtained. Meanwhile,the upper end portion 38A includes a cut-out portion in which a hookslot 250 is formed. Further, the rotation portion 232 is held so as toprevent the rotation portion 232 from popping out of the positionillustrated in FIG. 23 easily.

FIG. 23 illustrates an unactuated state of the display unit restraintmechanism 228. Meanwhile, FIG. 24 illustrates an actuated state of thedisplay unit restraint mechanism 228. In FIG. 24, a handle main unit 42Afits into the receiving groove 234. The handle main unit 42A is arod-like member extending in the horizontal direction. The cover portion240 of the rotation portion 232 covers over the handle main unit 42A, sothat the upward movement of the handle main unit 42A is restricted bythe cover portion 240. Specifically, by cooperation of the fixed portionand the rotation portion 232, the handle main unit 42A is held firmly.

In a state in which the rotation portion 232 is rotated clockwise asillustrated in FIG. 24, the rising movement of the hook member 242 ispermitted to thereby allow the leading end 236A thereof to be fittedinto the hook slot 250. Specifically, in the housed state in which therotation portion 232 is rotated counterclockwise, rise of the hookmember 242 is inhibited by the pin or other structures, whereas byrotating the rotation portion 232 clockwise, a free movement of the hookmember 242 is permitted so that the hook member 242 can rise by theaction of the spring 248. In this case, the hook member 242 functions asa strut between the main unit of the rotation portion 232 and theoperation panel to inhibit counterclockwise rotation of the rotationportion 232. Then, by pushing the outer surface of the hook member 242to place the hook member 242 in a fallen state, it is possible to rotatethe rotational member 232 counterclockwise to thereby restore thedisplay restraint mechanism 228 in the unactuated state. In this state,it is possible to pull the handle main unit 32A upward out of thereceiving groove 234. Here, while in the state in which the display unitis restrained, the display unit is in a substantially vertical state,the display unit may be slightly inclined forward.

In the present embodiment, as the display unit restraint mechanism 228is disposed in a triangular gap space at the back side of the operationpanel, there can be achieved advantages that the dead space can beeffectively used and that the display unit restraint mechanism 28 can beplaced out of sight of the user who is sitting so as to make theappearance of the device preferable. As a matter of course, when theuser is standing, it is possible for the user to visually recognize thedisplay unit restraint mechanism 228, and it is also easy to insert theuser's hand into the triangular gap space.

(7) Attitude Correction Mechanism (FIGS. 25 to 27)

Next, the attitude correction mechanism will be described with referenceto FIGS. 25 to 27. FIG. 25 illustrates a portion of the arm mechanism22; more specifically, schematically illustrates the second arm 52 andthe third pivot portion 54. Reference numeral 252 indicates a pivotcenter axis in the third pivot portion 54. The tilt portion 56 iscoupled to the third pivot portion 54. The tilt portion 56 is disposedwithin the cover 254 and includes a tilt axis 254 as a horizontal axis.A fitting 256 is coupled to the tilt axis 254. A slot 256A is formed onthe lower side of the fitting 256, and a side prong 258 coupled to thethird pivot portion 54 is placed within the slot 256A. As such, due tothe contact relationship between the slot 256A and the side prong 258, alimitation is imposed on the maximum tilt rotational angle in the tiltportion 56.

The attitude correction mechanism 58 is illustrated between the tiltportion 56 and the display unit 24. The attitude correction mechanism 58includes a shaft member 262 provided on the front plate of the fitting256. The shaft member 262 is coupled to a frame 264 provided within thecase 263 of the display unit 24. Reference numeral 268 indicates acorrection movement center axis. Due to the engaging relationshipbetween the shaft member 262 and a bearing 266, the display unit 24 canperform rotational movement in both directions about the correctionmovement center axis 268 with the maximum angle being ±5 degrees, forexample. Such a correction rotation range can be determined arbitrarily.In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail below, becausethe attitude correction mechanism 58 is provided in order to eliminatean apparent rotation of the display unit 24 resulting from drooping ofthe end portion of the arm mechanism, the maximum correction angle isdesirably selected to be within a range of ±2 to ±20 degrees, and moredesirably within a range of ±2 to ±10 degrees. As it becomes difficultto protect the interior members if too large a rotational movement ispermitted, such a degree of the correction angle range as describedabove is desirable. However, a ±90 degrees rotational mechanism may beprovided. The frame 264 includes an arc-shape slit 264A extending in theleft-right direction formed therein, and a forward prong 260 which is aportion of the fitting 256 is inserted in the slit 264A. Specifically,with the relative rotational movement of the display unit 24, theforward prong 260 moves in the left-right direction within the slit264A, and further rotation of the display unit 24 is inhibited when theforward prong 260 reaches the left and right ends of the slit 264A.

In the structure illustrated in FIG. 25, as the correction movementcenter axis 268 passes through the horizontal tilt center axis of thetilt axis 254, the correction movement center axis 268 and the tilt axis254 are in an orthogonal relationship. With such a structure, it is easyto hold the display unit 24 with both hands to allow the display unit 24to perform the tilt movement and the rotation movement simultaneously.In the present embodiment, the attitude correction mechanism 58 isprovided as a portion of the arm mechanism 22. More specifically, theattitude correction mechanism 58 is provided in order to solve theproblem of an apparent rotation of the display unit caused by the armmechanism main unit in the arm mechanism 22.

FIG. 26 illustrates an action of the attitude correction mechanism.Reference numeral 262 indicates the shaft member, and FIG. 26 furtherillustrates a fitting relationship between the slit 264A having an arcshape and the forward prong 260. Reference numeral 24 indicates thedisplay unit, and in the present embodiment, it is possible to cause thedisplay unit 24 to rotate in both the clockwise and counterclockwisedirections about the shaft member 262. These states are illustrated byreference numerals 24A and 24B.

FIG. 27 illustrates a specific action of the attitude correctionmechanism. A base 276 is provided on a main unit 274, and an armmechanism 270 is mounted on the base 276. The arm mechanism 270 includesa plurality of pivot mechanisms and a plurality of arm mechanisms, andreference numerals 278, 282, and 286 indicate pivot axes. Further, asthe plurality of arms, a first arm 280 and a second arm 284 areillustrated. In FIG. 27, warp or drooping of the end portion caused bythese arms 280 and 284 or the pivot mechanisms is illustrated in anexaggerated manner. Specifically, with respect to the vertical pivotaxis 278, the pivot axis 282 is slightly inclined, and the pivot axis286 is largely inclined at an inclination angle of θ.

Consequently, the end portions of the plurality of arms droop down,which makes the display unit 272, which is mounted at a correct anglewith respect to the end portion, appear to be rotated or drooping down.Such a problem is likely to occur when the plurality of arms areextended to a great degree toward the right or left side of the mainunit. When such drooping occurs, the upper edge and the lower edge ofthe display unit 272 are inclined with respect to the horizontal levelby the angle θ. Such a state is not desirable to the user, who may feeluncomfortable or uneasy. Accordingly, in the present embodiment, it ispossible to cause the display unit 272 to slightly rotate about acorrection movement center axis 288; more specifically, the attitude ofthe display unit can be corrected to the attitude which is parallel tothe vertical line, as indicated by reference numeral 272A. As a result,even if drooping occurs in the arm mechanism, the display unit itself isparallel to the horizontal line, whereby the uncomfortable or uneasyfeeling felt by the user can be eliminated.

By providing the attitude correction mechanism as described above, evenif a predetermined amount of drooping of the end portion is allowed,this does not cause any adverse effects on the user. Thus, an advantagethat benefits will accrue in the design or the like of the arm mechanism270 can be obtained. As a matter of course, it is not necessary toactually operate the attitude correction mechanism if no such droopingproblems occur. Further, if the user feels no discomfort, the displayunit 272 which appears to rotate may be used in such a condition.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

10 ultrasonic diagnosis device, 12 main unit, 14 movable section, 16movable mechanism, 18 operation panel, 20 base, 22 arm mechanism, 24display unit, 42 handle, 58 attitude correction mechanism, 60 liftingmechanism, 62 left-right slide mechanism, 64 forward-backward slidemechanism, 65 rotation limitation mechanism, 66 rotation mechanism, 68horizontal movement mechanism, 84 shutter mechanism, 136 home positionlock mechanism, 228 display unit restraint mechanism.

1. An ultrasonic diagnosis device, comprising: an operation panelincluding a plurality of input units that are operated by a user forultrasonic diagnosis; a lifting mechanism that varies a height of theoperation panel; and a horizontal movement mechanism which is supportedby the lifting mechanism and on which the operation panel is mounted,the horizontal movement mechanism having a layered structure, whereinthe horizontal movement mechanism includes: a left-right slide mechanismthat guides a slide movement of the operation panel in a left-rightdirection; a forward-backward slide mechanism that guides a slidemovement of the operation panel in a forward-backward direction; and arotation mechanism having a rotational shaft member that moves in theleft-right direction and the forward-backward direction by theleft-right slide mechanism and the forward-backward slide mechanism, therotation mechanism guiding a rotation movement of the operation panel.2. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 1, wherein thelayered structure is a structure in which the left-right slidemechanism, the forward-backward slide mechanism, and the rotationmechanism are sequentially stacked in this order from bottom to top. 3.The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 2, wherein thelifting mechanism includes a movable base, the left-right slidemechanism includes a left-right slide base that is a member mounted onthe movable base and that performs a slide movement in the left-rightdirection with respect to the movable base, the forward-backward slidemechanism includes a forward-backward slide base that is a membermounted on the left-right slide base and that performs a slide movementin the forward-backward direction with respect to the left-right slidebase, and the rotation mechanism is mounted on the forward-backwardslide base.
 4. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 3,comprising: a rotation limitation mechanism that limits a rotation rangeof the operation panel in accordance with a sliding position of theoperation panel in the forward-backward direction, wherein the rotationlimitation mechanism includes: a first member that is provided on theleft-right slide base and does not move in the forward-backwarddirection and in the rotation direction; and a second member that isprovided on the operation panel or on a rotation portion in the rotationmechanism and moves in the forward-backward direction and in therotation direction, and wherein with the first member and the secondmember coming in contact with each other, the rotation range of theoperation panel is limited in accordance with the sliding position ofthe operation panel in the forward-backward direction.
 5. The ultrasonicdiagnosis device according to claim 4, wherein one of the first memberand the second member is a moving member, and the other of the firstmember and the second member is a frame member that defines a movementrange of the moving member, and a width in the left-right direction ofthe movement range that is defined by the frame member is determinedsuch that the rotation range is greater when the operation panel islocated on a front side than when the operation panel is located on aback side.
 6. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 5,wherein the first member is the moving member, the second member is theframe member, the moving member is provided on the left-right slidebase, the frame member is provided on a bottom surface of the operationpanel, and the width of the movement range in the left-right directionincreases from the front side toward the back side.
 7. The ultrasonicdiagnosis device according to claim 5, wherein the first member is themoving member, the second member is the frame member, the moving memberis provided on the operation panel or the rotation portion in therotation mechanism, the frame member is provided on the left-right slidebase, and the width of the movement range in the left-right directionincreases from the back side toward the front side.
 8. The ultrasonicdiagnosis device according to claim 3, comprising: a casing that housesthe layered structure, wherein the casing includes: a first casingportion that houses the forward-backward slide mechanism; and a secondcasing portion that is continuous with the first casing portion andhouses the left-right slide mechanism.
 9. The ultrasonic diagnosisdevice according to claim 3, wherein the lifting mechanism includes asupport column composed of a movable column on which the movable base ismounted and a fixed column that guides an upward-downward movement ofthe movable column, the movable base is a horizontal plate that expandsfrom an upper end portion of the movable column toward the front side,and the lifting mechanism has an inverted L shape seen from a sidedirection.
 10. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 1,comprising: a current position lock mechanism that limits the slidemovement of the operation panel in the left-right direction and in theforward-backward direction so as to maintain a current position of theoperation panel in the left-right direction and in the forward-backwarddirection, and a home position lock mechanism that limits the slidemovement of the operation panel in the left-right direction and in theforward-backward direction when the operation panel is positioned at apoint of origin in the left-right direction and at a point of origin inthe forward-backward direction.
 11. The ultrasonic diagnosis deviceaccording to claim 10, wherein the current position lock mechanism is amechanism that limits operations of the left-right slide mechanism andthe forward-backward slide mechanism collectively.
 12. The ultrasonicdiagnosis device according to claim 10, wherein the home position lockmechanism includes: a first coupling member that couples a member thatperforms a slide movement in the left-right direction with a member thatdoes not perform a slide movement in the left-right direction when theoperation panel is positioned at the point of origin in the left-rightdirection; and a second coupling member that couples a member thatperforms a slide movement in the forward-backward direction with amember that does not perform a slide movement in the forward-backwarddirection when the operation panel is positioned at the point of originin the forward-backward direction.
 13. The ultrasonic diagnosis deviceaccording to claim 12, wherein the second coupling member is a thrustingmember that is held by the left-right slide base provided in theleft-right slide mechanism and is inserted into a hole portion formed inthe bottom surface of the operation panel; and both the forward-backwardmovement and the rotation movement of the operation panel arecollectively limited in a state in which the thrusting member isinserted into the hole portion.
 14. The ultrasonic diagnosis deviceaccording to claim 1, comprising: a box-shaped main unit that houses anelectronic substrate for forming an ultrasonic image, wherein the mainunit includes a rounded convex curved surface formed from a top facetoward a front face thereof; an elongated base on which the display unitand the arm mechanism are mounted is provided on a rear side of theoperation panel; the base includes, on a lower face, a concave curvedsurface corresponding to the convex curved surface; and the concavecurved surface comes adjacent to the convex curved surface when theoperation panel is positioned at the lowermost end and simultaneously atthe backward end.
 15. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim14, wherein a rear side distance from a rotation center axis of theoperation panel to a rear end of the base is longer than a front sidedistance from the rotation center axis to a front end of the operationpanel.
 16. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 14,wherein the arm mechanism includes: a first pivot portion that ismounted on the rear end of the base; a first arm having one end coupledwith the first pivot portion; a second pivot portion that is mounted onthe other end of the first arm; an intermediate arm standing uprightfrom the second pivot portion; a second arm having one end coupled withan upper end of the intermediate arm and that is capable of inclinedmovement; a third pivot portion that is coupled with the other end ofthe second arm; and a tilt mechanism that is mounted on the third pivotportion.
 17. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 16,wherein when the operation panel is at the backward end and at a pointof origin in the rotation direction and simultaneously the first arm isat a pivot angle of 0 degrees and the base and the first arm extendtoward the back side so as to form a straight line, the rearmost end ofthe first arm comes close to the rear end of the main unit without goingbeyond the rear end.
 18. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according toclaim 1, wherein there is provided a friction mechanism that applies afriction force to the left-right slide mechanism, the forward-backwardslide mechanism, and the rotation mechanism so as to inhibit theoperation panel from moving by a force acting on the display unit thatis mounted on the operation panel via the arm mechanism, when the forceis applied to the display unit to vary a position and an attitude of thedisplay unit.
 19. The ultrasonic diagnosis device according to claim 1,wherein the operation panel includes, on a bottom wall, an opening thatallows the rotational shaft member to pass therethrough; and a mechanismthat applies a friction force to the rotational shaft member isprovided, as a part of the friction mechanism, on the bottom wall whichis inside the operation panel.
 20. The ultrasonic diagnosis deviceaccording to claim 19, wherein the rotational shaft member includes apassage that is formed through the rotational shaft member in thevertical direction; and at least one cable that transmits an operationforce of a lever provided in the operation panel to at least one of theleft-right slide mechanism and the forward-backward slide mechanism isinserted through the passage.